A New Way of Doing Business Cloud computing turns conventional software delivery on its head in a number of ways: Low overhead:Upgrades, maintenance and system administration take place in the cloud and are managed by the vendor, so you don't have to spend nights or weekends supervising a new version upgrade or a failed server. One industry analyst study found that cloud-based business software cost 50% less than on-premise software over a four-year period for a 100-employee company Ease of access at anytime, and from anywhere: Cloud computing is "always on," making it easy to grow your business and support remote workers and locations, or support a highly mobile sales or service team, because people can access the cloud any time, day or night, from any browser, desktop ormobile devicearound the globe, 24x7 High availability:Cloud software architectures are designed from the ground up for maximum network performance, so they frequently deliver better application-level availability than conventional, on-premise solutions. For example, NetSuite commits to99.5% availability for its customers, and provides data security such as PCI DSS compliance that would be cost prohibitive to achieve with on-premise software Security: For many companies, the level of security and availability, disaster recovery and back-up provided by a software-as-a-service provider far exceeds that which they can provide themselves. NetSuite, for example, provides data security such as PCI DSS compliance that would be cost prohibitive to achieve with on- premise software Fast deployment:You can be up and running with ERP, CRM or ecommerce applications, on a local or global scale, within a few months, rather than the six to 12 months it would take to install and troubleshoot conventional servers and software Optimized performance:The cloud adjusts to your performance needs, dynamically assigning server cycles whenever and wherever you need them, and automatically adjusting to spikes in your business. Subscription-ba sed pricing:You pay as you go, often on an annual basis, unlike conventional systems where you have to make a major up-front investment in licenses, hardware and software. You benefit from better cash flow and far greater IT flexibility Energy savings:By eliminating the need for on-premise hardware, cloud computing reduces overall server room electric consumption as well, which can save a mid-size businesses more $10,000 or more per year, according to a recent sustainability impact study .The entire information technology industry is talking about “the cloud” these days. Many businesses are askin g the fundamental questi on, what is cloud computin g? And most importantly, how can I use it to make my business more competitive and better serve my customers? If you’re struggling to understand cloud computing technologies, this tutorial will give you the background you’ll need to make wis e adoption choices.
